Olympus E-3 vs Pentax K-5 II

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-3 versus Pentax K-5 II, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and K-5 II (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-3 was revealed 6 years before the K-5 II and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-3 grades against the K-5 II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 & Pentax K-5 II. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-3 enjoys outer dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 II has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-3 versus Pentax K-5 II in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-3 and the K-5 II.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and K-5 II is 56 and 60 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements purely by reading specifications. The visual below may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-3 and K-5 II.

Plainly, the 2 cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-3 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-5 II will deliver greater detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.